Folding box



M y 1 s, 19 3 I w. E; STQNECYPHER 2,319,371

' FOLDING BOX 'FiledMay 25, 1940 Z? s 22 w I? I 1:919 26* Patented May18, 1943 FOLDING BOX William E. Stonecypher, Los Angcles, Calif.

Application May 25, 1940, Serial No. 337,217

1 Claim.

This invention concerns folding boxes or en- ---velopes for thepackaging and protection of various articles of commerce and while theinvention is useful for various kinds and types of boxes and cartons,for instance, those used for the packaging f articles of wearingapparel, laundered articles and the like, it is especially designed foruse in packaging bakery products, such as pies,

cakes, etc.

Some of the novel features and objects of this invention are, that thebox can be machine diehold the box in its pro-designed configuration andthe corners of the box are constructed. so vas to enable all four sidewalls to readily fold inwardly when the box is collapsed for storage ortransportation in packaged form.

Another important object of the'invention is the provision of a dropside for cake and pie cartons, so that the cake or pie can easily beplaced into the carton and removed therefrom without the risk ofspoiling their appearances and thus, the box is especially adapted forcontaining meringue pies and cakes with soft frostings.

Other objects, advantages and features of my invention will appear fromthe accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description, thepreamble of this specification and the appended claim.

Applicant is about to illustrate and describe one of the forms of hisinvention in order to teach one how to make, use and vend the same, butit is to be understood that the drawing and description thereof are notto limit the invention in any sense whatsoever, except as limited by theappended claim.

In the drawing: 7 I

Fig. 1 shows one form of the invention in a developed plan view toillustrate how it can be die stamped from a single sheet of material.

Fig. 2 shows a portion of the box of Fig. l folded and in perspectiveview.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the box in flat folded position.

Fig. 4 is an elevational edge view of the box in partially foldedcondition.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking into one corner of the box whenpartially folded.

Fig. 6 is a developed plan view of another form of the invention andshowing a portion of the box.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing one corner of the modified form ofthe box in fully folded condition.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the modified form of the box and thefront wall thereof in a partially folded condition.

In Fig. l, the developed view of the box comprises a single sheet ofmaterial for which may be paper, cardboard, or any other material fromwhich foldable boxes or cartons can be made. The box is divided by aplurality of scored lines 2 which provide a bottom portion 3 for thebox, back wall 4, front wall 5, top 6, side walls I and 8, side flaps 9and Ill attached to the top, and a front flap H.

Each of the side walls 1 and 8 have diagonal scored lines l2 and [3extending from the lower outer corners l4 and l 5 respectively of thebox and converge toward one another as shown. For a very small box or along narrow box, the tops of the lines l2 and I3 may intersect oneanother, whereas for larger boxes, the top ends in these lines would bematerially spaced apart. Along limited portions of lines I2 and [3 areelongated slots l6 and I1 respectively, the ends of which are spacedfrom the ends of their respective lines. The side edges of the walls 1and 8 are cut on a slight bias, as shown at I8, to facilitate foldingthe sheet into box form.

The slots i6 and I! are of such dimensions in width and length to snuglyreceive the tongues 19 of flaps 20 at the ends of the walls 4 and 5respectively. The tongues are preferably configurated as shown and haveleading edges 2| and diverging upper and lower edges 22 and 23. Theouter corners of the flaps 20 between the ends of the edges 22' and theupper edges of said flaps are cut away to form notches 25. The purposeof these notches is to lock the flaps 29 within the respectiveslots l6and H by engaging the tops of the slots when the box is set up for use.Because of the cut-away curved portion 26 of each flap inwardly fromeach tongue l9, the tongues l9 become bracing legs and materiallystrengthen the box sides (see Fig. 2). Note in particular, that the endor leading edges 2| of the legs squarely rest in contact with the bottom3 of the box.

Because of the scored lines I2 and I3, the bottom and sides of the 'boxcan easily be pressed into a fiat form by first shoving the middle ofthe sides I and 8 inwardly and then pressing the front and back sides 4and 5 toward each other as shown in Fig. 5. The box can be furtherreduced in size for stacking in a small compass by bending the flaps 9and I against the inner surface of the top and then placing the entirefold d bottom and sides onto the folded flaps and top (see Figs. 3 and4) The construction just described and particularly the forming ofweakened lines that extend diagonally across the ends of the side wallsI and 8, which weakened lines comprise the slits l6 and I! and scoredlines I3, is particularly advantageous in the manufacture of boxes thatare folded or collapsed by machines, for when the side walls 7 and 8 arepushed inwardly by pressure against their outer central surfaces the endportions of said side walls will fold along the weakened lines so as toform substantailly V- shaped pockets, the bottoms of which are definedby the slits l6 and H and scored lines l2 and I3, and thus the tonguesHi which form the leg members will be automatically guided into andthrough the slits It as the side walls are folded downwardly onto thebottom 3 and the front and rear walls folded over onto the side wallsand the bottom.

When the corner portions of the box are folded inwardly to effectcollapse of the box, the end portions of the sides I and 8 break or foldon the scored lines I2 and i3 and the slots l6 and I1, so as to firstswing toward the end portions of the back and front walls 4 and 5, thendownwardly toward the bottom 3, and during this folding movement theflaps 29 do not fold but on the other hand, they swing with the endportions of the walls 1 and 8, first toward back and front walls 4 andand then downwardly toward the bottom I3 with the tongues I9 lyingbetween the back and front walls, and the bottom and the main bodyportions of the flaps to which the tongues are connected lying betweenthe folded ends of the walls 1 and 8 and the end portions of the backand front walls 4 and 5.

In Fig. 5, the end walls I and the tongues l9 on flaps are shownpartially moved inward as they appear during the collapse of the box.

Figs. 6, '7, and 8 show a slightly modified form of the invention. Inthis form of the invention, all the box parts are the same as in thepreferred form of the invention except the side and front walls. Thefront wall 21 of this form has a tongue 28 at each end, the leading edgeof the tongue having a hook-like shaped element 29 with a notch 30. Atthe base of the tongue where it joins the front wall, there is a smallernotch 3|. These notches 3| are for the purpose of engaging the materialin the box ends 34 above the juncture of the slots 38 and 39 when thebox is set up for use with the front wall in vertical position.

A scored diagonal line 32 extends from the box corner 33 toward theother end of the front wall and is for the purpose of permitting thefront wall 21 of the box to collapse and fold flat onto the frontportion of the bottom 3 and further, the provision of the scored line 32eliminates the scoring of the end walls 34. This wall 2'! is used inplace of the wall 5 of the other form of the invention when it isdesired to provide a drop wall for the box.

When the drop wall 21 is provided, the sides of the box are formed withwall 34 which takes the place of walls 1 and 8 of the other inventiveform. These walls 34 have one vertical edge slightly biased as shown at35 and the other edge formed with a flap 35. So that the entire box canbe die stamped from a single sheet of material, the fiap has a cut-outportion 3'1 to supply the material for the hook-like element 29. Anacute angled slot having legs 38 and 39 is provided in the side wall 34.The longer leg is situated along the scored line it and the shorter leg,slightly curved, extending for the longer leg as shown.

The hook end of the tongue 28 is adapted to ride in the angled slot andthe notch 30 thereof catches in the far end of the slot 39 when thefront Wall 2! of the box is dropped. This action takes place at bothends of the box and the action is clearly apparent by inspection ofFigs. 5 and 6 of the drawing.

A diagonal slot 4| is provided along the diag onal scored line 42 toreceive the tongue IQ of the back wall in the manner taught in theexplanation given for the other form of the invention.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided a folding box that isrelatively simple in construction, ineXpensive of manufacture and veryeffective in performing the functions for which it is intended.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form andconstruction of the various parts of my improved folding box, may bemade and substituted for those herein shown and described, withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is setforth in the appended claim.

I claim as my invention:

A folding box comprising integrally connected top, bottom, front, rearand side walls, leg extensions formed integral with and projecting fromthe ends of said front and rear walls, the inner portions of the edgesof said leg extensions adjacent the front and rear walls being cut awayto form notches, the portions outwardly from said notches forming legshaving straight lower edges which rest on the bottom of the box when thesame is set up for use, there being diagonally disposed slots formed inthe end portions of the side walls, which slots are inclined 45 withrespect to the outer edges of said side walls and the joint between thelower edges of said side walls and bottom, which slots receive said legswhen the box is set up for use and said side walls being provided withdiagonally disposed scored lines in longitudinal alignment with saidslots, which scored lines and slots provide weakened lines on which theend portions of the side walls beyond the slots and scored lines fold,when said side walls are collapsed and folded inwardly onto the bottomof the box.

WILLIAM E. STONECYPI-IER.

